Record Gas Prices Hit $26.82 per Gallon in Remote Alaskan Village

Shungnak, a village in Alaska’s Northwest Arctic Borough that can be reached only by air or river, is paying $26.82 for a gallon of gasoline. Store manager Glenda Douglas said the price jumped from $13.99 to $26.82 within a single day after the community’s fuel had to be flown in twice this summer because low water prevented barge deliveries.

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Finance expert Michael Ryan explained that the Iran-related war has not caused the immediate transportation problem but has driven up the price of replacement fuel. Disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz have kept global oil prices elevated, affecting the cost of fuel purchased for future Alaska deliveries. Alex Beene noted that remote Alaskan communities already face higher fuel costs, and the combination of the Iran war and difficult logistics has turned an already expensive necessity into a near-crisis for Shungnak.

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• 2022 price in Shungnak: $14.03 per gallon.

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• 2007 price: just over $8 per gallon.

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• Current national average: just over $4 per gallon (AAA).

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• Alaska state averages range from $3.49 to $5.62 per gallon.

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These figures illustrate that Shungnak’s price is dramatically higher than both state and national levels, reflecting long-standing logistical challenges amplified by recent geopolitical tensions.

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Ryan warned that persistent high gasoline prices could become a political issue for the party in power, especially as Alaska heads into a competitive Senate race. While a single village will not decide an election, the broader cost-of-living story may influence voter sentiment.

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• “Just yesterday, the price was 13.99, but now it is 26.82,” — Glenda Douglas, store manager

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• “Politically, voters don't buy crude oil. They buy gallons,” — Michael Ryan, finance expert and founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com

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• “Alaska is experiencing an extreme version of the nation’s gas pricing problem, as many rural communities have always paid substantially more for fuel, and in places like Shungnak the combination of the Iran War and difficult transportation logistics has turned an already expensive essential cost into something closer to a crisis,” — Alex Beene, financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin

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